“Malaysia`s GDP growth should average 5.2 per cent in 2018, underpinned by a pipeline of large infrastructure projects that will stimulate public and private investment. Although the trend of fiscal deficit reduction has been maintained, the implementation of further fiscal consolidation remains a major credit challenge.

“That said, a favourable debt structure and large domestic savings help to mitigate risks arising from a high government debt burden. Despite current account surpluses, Malaysia continues to be exposed to potential volatility in capital inflows, in part due to an active foreign investor presence. Foreign reserve adequacy remains low when compared with Arated peers,” it said in a statement today.

Moody`s conclusions were contained in its just-released credit analysis on Malaysia, which examines the sovereign in four categories: economic strength, which is assessed as "very high"; institutional strength "high; fiscal strength "moderate”; and susceptibility to event risk "moderate".

Moody`s report said that upward pressure on the sovereign`s rating could arise from a material convergence in government debt levels with similarly rated peers, accompanied by improvements in debt affordability and continued fiscal deficit reduction; and a reduction in external vulnerability risks, such as through a containment of the rise in short-term external debt liabilities, or through effective use of macroprudential tools to limit volatility in capital flows durably.

Meanwhile, its downward rating pressure could come from a significant worsening in Malaysia`s debt dynamics, possibly arising from a renewed fall in commodity prices or the crystallisation of contingent liabilities.